A mother accidentally killed her daughter and injured four other children as she attempted to maneuver an SUV in her driveway the evening of Thursday, May 31, 2012.
An already bad day turned into a horrible day for Marianable Cruz-Lopez, a 33-year-old single mother who was being evicted from a house in Lewisdale, Md.
After an argument with her landlord, Cruz-Lopez was attempting to back a Ford Expedition into the garage to pack up her belongings when she accidentally pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal.
Rather than slowly backing into the garage, the SUV shot forward, slamming into a group of children who were playing in the driveway next to the house shortly before 9:00 p.m.
Cruz-Lopez’ 8-year-old daughter Natalie died in the accident in Prince George’s County.
Her 2-year-old son was seriously injured, as were three neighbor children, ages 6, 7, and 10. The 10-year-old reportedly had a head injury and two broken ribs. The four children were taken to the local Children’s Hospital with serious, but not life-threatening, injuries.
Prince George’s County police officers had left the scene only minutes before the accident. They had responded to reports of a domestic dispute, which turned out to be a heated argument between Cruz-Lopez and her landlord.
Police are still investigating the accident but so far have not filed any charges against Cruz-Lopez. Originally from Chiapas, Mexico, she has lived in the area for several years and was moving out of the basement she rented.
Cruz-Lopez did not have a valid driver’s license, and Montgomery County reports several traffic tickets on her driving record.